Best things to do in Esmirna

“Asansör (Turkish for "elevator", derived from the French word ascenseur) is a historical building in İzmir's Karataş quarter, within the boundaries of the metropolitan district of Konak. It was built in 1907 as a work of public service by a wealthy Jewish banker and trader of that period, Nesim Levi Bayraklıoğlu, in order to ease passage from the narrow coastline of Karataş to the hillside, the elevator within the building serving to carry people and goods through the steep cliff between the two parts of the quarter.”

“It's a very old shopping center in Izmir. You can find many shops for food, clothing, gold and others. Most buildings are old and some are historical. Prices are inexpensive. The market has a lively feel and very huge. You can easily spend a few hours there. Find historical Kizlaragasi Hani and try traditional Turkish coffee.”

“Alsancak is ‘pure İzmir’ truly resembling the town. As a well-known, beautiful poem on Izmir goes, you can smell the “fragrance of both ladies and the sea” best in Alsancak, the liveliest and most vibrant quarter of the town. Maybe due to the phonetics of its name or maybe because of its atmosphere, Alsancak is the first place that comes to mind for shopping in İzmir. The luxurious brands appealing to higher classes side by side decent affordable boutiques demonstrates the colorful variety of Alsancak. Luxury class stores of famous World brands are within a close vicinity around Mustafa Bey Street, Plevne Avenue and Gül Street. Let’s walk by Sevinç Patisserie into Kıbrıs Şehitleri, the town’s popular meeting spot. You’ll see cheerful people, all smiling, typical for Izmirians. You can see a lot of different faces here but for sure not an ugly one. As a town inhabited by migrants from Greece and Balkans, Izmir is the capital of beauty and freedom in Turkey. Kıbrıs Şehitleri purely reflects the spirit of İzmir, one can say. And, shopping… What colours the street is doubtlessly not only the cheerful people but also several shops and stores along, which are as diverse as the people there. In these shops of all sizes and styles, you can find a wide range of goods varying from ethnic designed handmade bags and leather shoes to souvenirs, stylish hats and accessories to clothes, at affordable prices. Also, famous World brands has their stores on Kıbrıs Şehitleri.”

“Mavibahce is a semi-open unique design shopping center in Bostanlı/Karsıyaka. You may find restaurants, cafes, cinemas, magazines with local and world-known brands. You may go there by Izban or ferry with tram connection.”

“Agora means etymologically city square, bazaar and market place. Having commercial, legal, religious and political functions, agora is the place where art is concentrated, the foundations of philosophy are laid and stoas, monuments, altars and statues abound. It is the heart of trade. Located in Namazgah district of İzmir, agora dates back to Roman period (the 2nd century AC) and was built as threefold near-by the center according to city plan of Hippodamos. İzmir agora is the biggest and most well-kept agora of Ions. İzmir Agora established on the foot of Kadifekale (Pagos Mountain) in İzmir (Smyrna) was used as the state agora of the city. This state agora was connected to commercial agora in the harbor by means of a wide street in the north direction. İzmir Agora is the biggest state agora inside the city.”

“Konak Pier is built as customs warehouse of Izmir in the beginning of 19th century. It's architecture is guessed to belong to French architect Gustave Eiffel. this pier served as a customs point until the mid-20th century. Recently converted into a shopping mall, it offers Western fast-food outlets, cinemas, restaurants and shops including the upmarket Beymen department store and Remzi Kitabevi bookshop.”